Surrounded by Silence
by Callie Elizabeth
Summary: Logan and Remy are trapped when a cave-in occurs while on a mission. Previously published on my site.


Surrounded by Silence

Summary: Logan and Remy are trapped when a cave-in occurs while on a mission. This was previously published on my site.

**Warning: Please press the back button if you are looking for a happy ending.**

The cave-in had happened so suddenly that neither man had been able to prepare themselves. As the dust cleared Logan grimaced as he pushed fallen debris off himself and looked around for his teammate. The place was impossibly quiet and he feared the worst when he didn't hear anyone else stir. "Gambit?" he questioned trying to keep his voice from rising too high in fear of causing another cave-in. His eyes scanned the dark room hoping to see some sense of movement. Light filtered in randomly from places above and he was hopeful that there were enough gaps that they wouldn't run out of air. "Cajun answer me," he called out again. He couldn't stand up so he crawled over to a space in the wall formed by the cave-in hoping that Remy was simply on the other side of it.

"Gambit," he called the name through the opening that seemed too small for him to crawl through. A wheeze and a groan were his only reply and he accepted them to be a sign that the boy was alive. He fumbled for his com and was greeted with silence when he tried to turn it on. The X-Men were near and knew the general area that he and Gambit were in when the cave-in occurred so he wasn't worried that they wouldn't be found.

"Kid I don't think I can make it through this opening, you've gotta come to me," he stated as he tried to get the boy to respond.

"Logan?" came the shaky and raspy reply. Had his hearing not been as sensitive as it was he wouldn't have heard it at all.

"Remy you okay?" he asked seriously.

"Non," came the forced reply spoken just as quietly.

He looked at the crawl space once again and growled at the prospect of forcing his body through. It would be easier if the kid came to him, "Remy can you make it over here so I can take a look at ya?" When no reply was voiced his worry increased.

He tried his com again only to find it just as useless as it had been moments before. He wasn't sure if he had been knocked out by the falling debris, but a quick check of his own body assured him that had he been hurt his healing factor had taken care of it already.

He looked back through the opening and tried to scan the darker room for his teammate, but couldn't locate him. "Kid I need you to come over here," he repeated his earlier request. Still no response was given by the boy on the other side of the wall. "Gambit talk to me," he tried again.

"Logan?" he heard his name spoken just as shaky as it had been the first time.

"Cajun are you hurt bad?" Logan asked and hoped that he was wrong.

"Oui," Remy replied.

As Logan concentrated on finding the boy he realized his breathing was coming in gasps. "Stay awake kiddo," he encouraged since he didn't know what was wrong with the boy.

"Can't move," Remy informed him after a few minutes.

"Alright," Logan replied, "I'll come to you." He moved rocks out of the opening carefully until it was large enough for him to force his way through. As the space opened into the other room he moved in the direction that he had heard Remy's voice. "Kid it's real dark in here I need ya to talk to me so I can find ya."

Silence greeted Logan instead of the reply he had asked for. Then just as he was about to ask again two red eyes burned in the darkness. He wasn't sure how high up the ceiling was so he stayed low to the ground. "I'm coming kiddo. Just keep those eyes of yours open."

It didn't take long for him to reach Remy and when he did he found his eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough for him to be able to see everything in shadows. The boy was trapped under some rocks that Logan quickly moved. A loud moan of pain escaped the boy's lips as the pressure was moved off his chest and leg. "You're alright now," Logan tried to assure.

"So cold," the boy whispered even quieter than before.

Logan reached out to touch the young man and found his skin cold to the touch and his pulse racing. Logan knew them to be signs of shock so he moved to examine the boy's body for the cause. "Remy I can barely see in here," he admitted. "What's hurtin?"

"Everything," Remy replied with a gasp as Logan applied slight pressure to his side.

"You gotta be more specific then that kiddo," Logan encouraged. "You bleeding anywhere I can't find?"

"Just cold," Remy replied. "Hate da cold."

"I think you've probably got broken ribs," Logan informed him when more pressure to his side made Remy gasp again. "Did ya hit your head?"

"Don't know Logan," Remy's eyes closed with the reply.

"You might have a concussion kid, you've gotta stay awake."

"Can't."

"Sure ya can," Logan replied as he tried to determine if the kid's leg was broken as well. He wasn't sure, but there wasn't much he could do anyway. "Remy do you have your com on ya?"

"Think so," was his vague reply. Logan tried his own once more and found at least he was able to get static instead of nothing, but no voice greeted him in reply. They must have been too far underground for the coms to work was the only conclusion he was able to draw.

He knew that he needed to get the boy warm, but he had no jacket to offer him. Although moving him was probably a bad idea, he really had no choice. "Kid I gotta get ya warm," he informed Remy. "I'm gonna pick ya up alright?"

"I ain't gonna make it," Remy mumbled.

Logan pushed away his own doubts as he tried to reassure the boy, "of course ya are kiddo but don't go tellin everyone that ya got to sit on my lap."

"Ain't no one gonna believe Remy if he say it anyways," he replied.

Logan tried to move him carefully but Remy couldn't help but moan and gasp in pain as he was lifted from the cold floor onto Logan's lap. Logan leaned against the wall and settled Remy's head on his chest. He encouraged the boy to bring his arms close to his chest, but avoided putting any pressure on Remy's ribs. His hand moved up and down the boy's arm as he cradled him close. "Stay awake," he encouraged as the boy became very still in his arms.

"Can't," Remy insisted.

"You have to. The X-Men will be here for us any minute now." He turned the com on once again and attempted to reach anyone, but was greeted with more static.

"You not now that," Remy argued tiredly.

"I do," Logan replied. "Now talk to me, go ahead and ramble; just stay awake."

"Ain't got nothing to say," Remy replied.

"I'll have to write that down when we get home. Never thought I'd see the day when Remy LeBeau had nothing to say." His teasing had a seriousness lacing it because of his increasing worry. When Remy didn't offer a smart ass reply he knew the boy was hurt even worse than he had already imagined. "How 'bout you tell me about New Orleans?" Logan asked.

"Best place on earth," Remy replied proudly.

"Why's that kiddo?"

"There be so much to do. Love Mardi Gras da best, you ever been?"

"Naw can't say I have," Logan replied.

"You gotta go sometime, take Stormy with ya make sure dat girl has some fun."

"Have you ever taken her?" Logan questioned.

"Non," Remy admitted. "Don't think she ever agree to go mais you convince her oui? Tell her Remy say so."

"You can tell her yourself kiddo."

"Ain't makin it outta here Logan," Remy stated. "You take care of my petite."

"You're gonna be fine Cajun," Logan assured. "Just keep talkin to me."

"Don't tink so Logan mais oui will keep talkin."

"Where haven't you traveled yet kiddo? It must be a short list."

"Ain't never been to Japan," Remy admitted. "Never really thought 'bout it till you talked 'bout it. Then I thought I'd get there someday."

"You will," Logan insisted. "I'll show ya around there after you take 'Ro to Mardi Gras."

"Not allowed in New Orleans, me."

"You've mentioned that before kiddo, why?"

"Been messin up my whole life," Remy's vague response didn't appease Logan's curiosity.

"What does that mean?"

"Remy be da Prince of Thieves."

"Yeah that I know," Logan replied.

"Well Papa wanted to unite da Thieves and de Assassins Guilds so was forced ta marry Belle."

"I'm sure that was supposed to make sense," Logan replied confused.

"Belle she be the Princess of Assassins? Guess that sounds silly, mais oui. We be royalty."

"Did ya refuse to marry her?" Logan asked still just as confused.

"Non," Remy replied drowsy. "We be married, mais I kill her brother and dat started a war. Papa was supposed to kill me but he banished me instead."

"Now I know you're just making stuff up," Logan replied.

"Non," Remy replied curtly. "You ain't supposed to know any of dat," Remy added.

"Consider it forgotten," Logan assured still not quite understanding anyways.

Remy coughed against his chest and Logan's concern for the kid increased when he felt warm liquid splatter onto his shirt. He wasn't able to tell if the liquid was red like he suspected so he was forced to ask, "you coughing up blood kiddo?"

"Oui," came a small reply. "Merci for trying."

"Don't give up on me now," Logan encouraged. He now knew for certain that internal bleeding was slowly killing the teammate in his arms. A teammate that he had never taken the time to get to know. A teammate who was barely older then a child. A teammate who they had never given the chance to be a friend. He couldn't let that happen.

He fumbled with his com badge once again as he held the boy. This time Scott's voice greeted his panicked plea for help. "They're close," he assured the boy in his arms.

"Too late," Remy breathed.

"Did you ever go to college?" Logan tried to prolong the conversation in an attempt to keep the boy awake.

"Oui, couple years," Remy replied, "never finished."

"Why not?"

"Had to leave N'awlins."

"What were ya studying?"

Tired red eyes looked up at him without the fire that usually burned in them. "Business," the answer finally came as the boy looked back down.

"I never woulda guessed that," Logan said as he gently shifted the boy to lean against his chest even more.

"Was gonna be da leader of the Guild. Gotta know business stuff."

"You still cold kiddo?" Logan asked as his hand brushed against the cold clammy skin of the boy's hand.

"Oui, mais its better dan da floor."

More coughing occurred and Logan felt the boy's blood upon his neck. "Stay with me kiddo," he demanded as he once again called out to the X-Men. "They're close Remy, just stay awake and Hank will fix ya."

"Gotta sleep now," he admitted.

"No Remy just a few more minutes," he asked desperately.

"You take care of Stormy, you tell her Remy love her?"

"You hang on and tell her yourself."

"Promise?"

Tears sprang to Logan's usually unemotional eyes and he forced himself to reply, "Yes kid. I promise."

"Merci mon ami," the boy forced the words out slowly.

Logan continued to hold him close as he willed the X-Men to arrive before the boy took his last breathe. His fingers combed through Remy's hair and moved it away from his face as he continued to rub the boy's arm. He tried to reassure Remy that he wasn't alone by whispering quietly to him. He no longer asked the boy to talk and instead let him sit peacefully. He lost track of time as he sat there in the silence and mourned the young life that he was powerless to prevent from slipping away. He kept his hold on the boy long after the boy had passed on.

When the X-Men finally found him there was nothing that could be done for the lifeless boy in his arms. Hank moved to find a pulse but he informed the doctor that it had been too long. They hopelessly attempted to revive the still form but his body remained lifeless. He ignored the excuses explaining why it took so long to dig them out. It didn't matter, he didn't care.

When Hank had exhausted his attempt at revival, Logan stood up and lifted the light form as the X-Men returned to the blackbird. No more words were spoken as he carried the boy up the ramp and placed him on a stretcher. He was forced to hear Ororo's painful sobs and wrapped his arms around her as he had promised. "He loved you," he whispered in her ear and her tears increased. It wasn't until the blackbird landed that she released her hold on Logan and followed Hank.

Logan needed a few minutes so he made his way upstairs instead. He tried to convince himself to walk by the room, but he couldn't. He tried the doorknob and found it unlocked so he stepped inside. He had never been in the boy's room before. The room was so sparse that it barely looked lived in, yet the boy had spent several years as an X-Man. It made his own uncluttered room look decorated. There was a simple bed and dresser with a traditional mirror atop it. No pictures or posters lined the walls or dresser. A desk sat in the corner looking bare and unused. The window curtains were drawn and had he closed the door to the hallway he was certain the room would be black.

He walked to the middle of the room slowly, unsure why he felt so nervous, but unable to shake off the feeling. His fingers touched the quilt that covered the bed and he sat down upon it gently. He cradled his head in his hands and tears once again sprang to his eyes as he realized he still had the kid's blood on them. A noise caught his attention and he looked up to find Scott standing in the doorway. Their eyes met, but neither man spoke for several minutes.

Finally Logan broke the silence with a question that would linger in the air of the mansion, "who was he?"


End file.
